The 40th Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Meeting (AMM) closed in Manila Monday with foreign ministers' agreement to include in the ASEAN Charter a provision that mandates the creation of a human rights body. 

"We have agreed to create the human rights body," Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo told reporters in the Philippine capital. "At the ministers' level we have a consensus. Myanmar had a positive attitude towards all of this."

He said the ministers had yet to decide on terms of reference and other specifics, but would do so soon.

One diplomat privy to the discussions said Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Brunei - the six older members of ASEAN - persuaded Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to accept the deal in principle.

Myanmar had opposed the idea, while the three Indochina nations had asked for more time, the diplomat said. But the differences were essentially swept under the carpet.

"There is no time-frame, there is no agreement on form and substance," the diplomat said. "And everything has to be agreed to by the leaders."

Setting up a human rights institution is an integral part of a landmark charter that ASEAN is trying to complete before a summit of the region's presidents and prime ministers in November.

Besides, the foreign ministers adopted key documents. Among them are two documents that focus on promoting and protecting the rights and welfare of migrant workers, namely, "Joint Statement on the Establishment of the ASEAN Committee on the implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers," and "Guidelines for the Provision of Emergency Assistance by ASEAN Missions in Third Countries to Nationals of ASEAN member Countries in Crisis Situations".

At the meeting, the foreign ministers also witnessed the adoption of a regional Plan of Action to strengthen the implementation of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (SEANWFZ), said Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo who chairing the 40th AMM.

The 40th AMM opened on Monday morning and Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo addressed the opening ceremony with a keynote speech.

During her keynote speech, President Arroyo said that ASEAN relations have never been stronger and recalled ASEAN achievements in cooperation, solidarity, fighting poverty and winning collective security. She called on ASEAN to carry forward the landmark commitments made at the 12th ASEAN Summit to create "one caring and sharing" community by 2015.

Before the one-day AMM, the ASEAN Senior Officials and Directors-General had held a series of preparatory meetings.

The Philippines currently heads the ASEAN and is hosting this week the 40th AMM, Post Ministerial Conferences (PMC), and the 14th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) following the 12th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in Cebu in January this year.

Founded in 1967, the ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

(China Daily via agencies July 31, 2007)